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Solar Energy Cars

NEW SOLAR ENERGY CARS

The first cars to harness solar power were developed in the 1970s. Despite 40 years in the making, today they remain "concept cars" outside the mainstream market. While all models use photovoltaic cells, the most successful in terms of speed and reliability use PVCs to charge a separate battery, which is then inserted into the car. The biggest hurdle the solar automobile industry faces is the astronomical cost of building and purchasing solar-powered cars. Given that the top speed of even the most expensive solar vehicle is only around 60 mph, a price tag in the hundreds of thousands dollars is well beyond most consumers. However, this does not stop schools, corporations and amateur teams from taking part in solar car competitions. Since the early 1980s, annual races have been held all over the world, the most famous courses being the World Solar Challenge in Australia and the North American Solar Challenge, which runs from Texas to Calgary, Canada.